Ragged Dick, Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot-Blacks eBook

Before dismissing the subject of Travis and his theft,
it may be remarked that he was duly tried, and, his
guilt being clear, was sent to Blackwell’s Island
for nine months. At the end of that time, on
his release, he got a chance to work his passage on
a ship to San Francisco, where he probably arrived
in due time. At any rate, nothing more has been
heard of him, and probably his threat of vengence
against Dick will never be carried into effect.

Returning to the City Hall Park, Dick soon fell in
with Tom Wilkins.

“How are you, Tom?” he said. “How’s
your mother?”

“She’s better, Dick, thank you. She
felt worried about bein’ turned out into the
street; but I gave her that money from you, and now
she feels a good deal easier.”

“I’ve got some more for you, Tom,”
said Dick, producing a two-dollar bill from his pocket.

“I ought not to take it from you, Dick.”

“Oh, it’s all right, Tom. Don’t
be afraid.”

“But you may need it yourself.”

“There’s plenty more where that came from.”

“Any way, one dollar will be enough. With
that we can pay the rent.”

“You’ll want the other to buy something
to eat.”

“You’re very kind, Dick.”

“I’d ought to be. I’ve only
got myself to take care of.”

“Well, I’ll take it for my mother’s
sake. When you want anything done just call on
Tom Wilkins.”

“All right. Next week, if your mother doesn’t
get better, I’ll give you some more.”

Tom thanked our hero very gratefully, and Dick walked
away, feeling the self-approval which always accompanies
a generous and disinterested action. He was generous
by nature, and, before the period at which he is introduced
to the reader’s notice, he frequently treated
his friends to cigars and oyster-stews. Sometimes
he invited them to accompany him to the theatre at
his expense. But he never derived from these
acts of liberality the same degree of satisfaction
as from this timely gift to Tom Wilkins. He felt
that his money was well bestowed, and would save an
entire family from privation and discomfort.
Five dollars would, to be sure, make something of
a difference in the mount of his savings. It was
more than he was able to save up in a week. But
Dick felt fully repaid for what he had done, and he
felt prepared to give as much more, if Tom’s
mother should continue to be sick, and should appear
to him to need it.

Besides all this, Dick felt a justifiable pride in
his financial ability to afford so handsome a gift.
A year before, however much he might have desired
to give, it would have been quite out of his power
to give five dollars. His cash balance never reached
that amount. It was seldom, indeed, that it equalled
one dollar. In more ways than one Dick was beginning
to reap the advantage of his self-denial and judicious
economy.

It will be remembered that when Mr. Whitney at parting
with Dick presented him with five dollars, he told
him that he might repay it to some other boy who was
struggling upward. Dick thought of this, and
it occurred to him that after all he was only paying
up an old debt.